2015/2016 Season

A magnificent epic with an engaging twist. The splendor of ancient Babylon. The yearning of a nationless people. A king's pride, a god's wrath, a pair of star-crossed lovers. Verdi's epic account of King Nebuchadnezzar comes to Seattle Opera for the very first time with an inventive new production that puts the orchestra at the heart of the action and brings you closer to the singers than ever before. Thrill to the "Va, pensiero" chorus, marvel at the grandeur, and connect with the characters on a whole new level.

Join Wagner and More for this intimate recital with rising star mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton. Recent winner of the prestigious 2015 Richard Tucker Award, Ms. Barton is not to be missed as she launches into a major international career. She performs her Seattle Opera debut this summer as Fenena in Nabucco, August 8-22.

Provocative drama with local connections. Treasured possessions become symbols of home in a Seattle Opera commission, part of the Belonging(s)project, inspired by true stories from our region’s history. This world premiere opera set during World War II explores the lives of two Puget Sound women: a Japanese American facing internment and a German Jewish immigrant preoccupied by those she left behind. Their struggles to maintain a sense of place in our region are given added resonance through moderated audience discussions bookending the opera.

FARAWAY FANTASY WITH SPECTACULAR COLOR. Sail away to Sri Lanka for a hypnotic romance from the great Georges Bizet (Carmen). An alluring priestess with a mysterious past is pursued by a pair of fishermen who share a brotherly bond. Honor, jealousy, and communal duty complicate the love triangle; but a long-buried secret saves the day. Award-winning designer Zandra Rhodes (The Magic Flute) enhances the enchantment with vivid, fabulously colorful sets and costumes. Don’t miss this stunningly beautiful creation.

KINETIC COMEDY WITH HEARTFELT HUMANITY. Charming, lighthearted, and endlessly enjoyable, Mozart’s most popular opera sparkles with genius. There’s never a dull moment for a lascivious Count and his entourage as they navigate the ups and downs of “the crazy day” preparing a wedding – or two! General Director Aidan Lang brings an “engrossing, astute, and unmissable” (The New Zealand Herald) production to McCaw Hall for his Seattle Opera directorial debut. Genuinely touching, often hilarious, ever sublime, Mozart’s miraculous marriage of music to comedy delights like no other.

HISTORIC CONFRONTATION WITH SEARING EMOTIONS. Two icons of English royalty, Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, clash in a powerful story of jealousy, pity, doubt, menace, exaltation, and remorse. Extravagant period costumes and virtuosic bel canto singing heighten the many moods of this haunting, unforgettable battle of wills. Does Elizabeth retain her nobility and show clemency to her rival? Or will spite and ambition drive her to seal Mary’s grisly fate? Join us at the palace and see!

ROMANTIC FABLE WITH STRIKING THEATRICALITY. A cursed ship captain, condemned to wander the seas for eternity, sets foot on land every seven years to search for a bride who can end his suffering. A young woman in a fishing village, obsessed with his legend, hopes to be the true love who can bring him peace. Wagner’s stormy, captivating tale takes on an arresting immediacy through a compelling and stylish production from a visionary creative team. Not to be missed.